Volumetric flask rack



1967 w. c. LAWRENCE ETAL 3,352,427

VOLUMETRIC FLASK RACK Filed Aug. 12, 1965 FIG. 4

21 WI-(W m I N VEN TOR. William C; Neely BY Wallace C. LavvrQncQ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,352,427 VOLUMETRIC FLASK RACK Wallace C. Lawrence, Goodyear Circle, Durham, N.C.

27707, and William C. Neely, Rte. 6, Box 366A, Raleigh, N.(I. 27609 Filed Aug. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 479,089 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-74) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A volumetric flask rack utilizes a plurality of springs which partially overlie selected wells spaced along a trough which is located in the upper surface of a housing to prevent volumetric flasks which are received by the Wells from becoming dislodged upon the tilting of the housing. The springs rest on the upper portions of the flasks to provide an easy manual withdrawal of the flasks from the wells.

This invention relates to a device for holding volumetric flasks and, more particularly, to a volumetric flask rack which securely receives a plurality of volumetric flasks without allowing them to become dislodged therefrom, yet will permit an easy manual withdrawal thereof.

Volumetric flasks are comprised of a tear shaped bulb having a flat lower surface for engaging a table or the like and a long, slender liquid receiving stem extending upwardly from the bulb. The stem includes indicia thereon for marking a specific volume. Since the flasks base is relatively small when considered in light of its high center of gravity, volumetric flasks are subject to be easily tipped or knocked over by even a careful person. Additionally, it is dificult to move large numbers of flasks since each has to be individually set upon its base with tedious care and the tipping of one may cause the lot to fall. Since volumetric flasks of this type are relatively expensive, it can be seen that a means for preventing the tipping and breaking thereof would be an advancement in the art.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a novel volumetric flask rack which receives and retains volumetric flasks in a vertical position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a volumetric flask rack which is adapted to receive a plurality of flasks for transporting of the same.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a volumetric flask rack which securely positions a volumetric flask therein even if the rack and the flasks are turned upside down and yet allows the same to be easily removed by hand.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the appended drawings, specification and claims. Preferred embodiments of this inven tion will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of the volumetric flask rack embodying the applicants invention as shown and used;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIGURE 1 showing a volumetric flask being received by the rack;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the rack showing the same having received a flask;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of the rack showing the various elements comprising the same; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective cut-away View of a second embodiment of the invention showing the arrangement of parts comprising the same.

One embodiment of this present invention contemplates providing a hexahedronal shapedhousing with a plurality of troughs with each trough having a plurality of wells and each well having an association with a spring which 3,352,427 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 ice partially overlies a portion of the well and extends around the remaining portion of the well. The housing troughs and wells may be formed from a composite structure such as being molded from a homogeneous plastic. A plurality of holes are located in the area adjacent the wells and in the wall portions of the trough which holes receive and securely position various spring members. In a preferred embodiment, one spring member is provided around each well. Each spring lies behind a portion of the well and overlies the remainder. The spring impinges against the inwardly curving upper portion of the flasks bulb and holds the same within the confines of the well. In a second embodiment this same effect is achieved by aligning parallel springs and eliminating the trough altogether.

The invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawings in which the figures are illustrative of the preferred embodiments of the invention.

A hexahedronal shaped housing 10 having a top surface 11 and sides 12, 13, 14 and 15 is provided with a plurality of troughs 17 and 18 which extend downwardly from top surface 11 and which include sides 19 and 20 and bed 21. Sides 19 and 20 and bed 21 are integral continuations of top surface 11. Housing 10 may include only one trough linearly disposed therein, the number being variable to meet the designs of the user. Troughs 17 and 18 are provided to facilitate the location of spring holes 34 (described below).

A plurality of wells 25 are located partially in troughs 17 and 18 and extend downwardly from the surface 11 of housing 10 and bed 21. Each well has a cylindrical wall 26 which is an integral continuation of surface 11, sides 19 and 20, and bed 21 and a floor 27 which cooperate to receive a volumetric flask 30. It is contemplated that housing 10 which includes troughs 17 and 18 and wells 25 may be integrally molded from a plastic, metal or the like. It is to be noted that the diameter of cylinder wall 26 adapts the rack to receive various sizes of volumetric flasks. The diameter of cylinder wall 26 is made just large enough to slidably receive the bulb portion 31 of flask 31 Wells 25 may be adapted to receive volumetric flasks of the sizes including 1 ml., 5 ml., 10 ml., 25 ml. and 50 ml; also a rack may be adapted to receive flasks of different selected sizes. A portion of cylinder wall 26 extends upwardly to top surface 11 of housing 19 and is in communication with sides 19 and 20 of trough 17. Another portion of cylinder wall 26 extends only up to bed 21 of trough 17. The differential in wall extension forms a slot 28 in well 25 which corresponds to the depth and height of trough 17. Adjacent each side of each portion 27 of wall 26 which extends from floor 21 to surface 11, a hole 34 is located thereby providing each well 25 with four adjacently positioned holes 34.

A tension coiled spring 35 which is annular in design passes through each of the four holes 34 adjacent a selected well 25. Spring 35 has a length thereof which lies behind portion 27 of wall 26 which extends from bed 21 to top surface 11; the remainder of spring 35 overlies a portion of well 25 and partially in slot 28 thereby cutting off an equal segment of each side of well 25. The gripping action of springs 35 is illustrated by FIGURES 1 and 4. As shown, upon the insertion of volumetric flask 30, springs 35 are spread apart and deformed so as to partially curve around the upper portion of bulb 31 thereby resiliently impinging against bulb 31 and thus holding 3 on volumetric flask by springs is not so large as to hamper the manual removal of the flask therefrom.

It is important that the materials used are resistive to corrosive acids and the like since this apparatus will be primarily employed in laboratories. It has been found that an inexpensive but yet corrosive resistant and moldable plastic is polyethylene. It is only attacked by various few chemicals. It is desirable that the springs be made from stainless steel.

A second embodiment of this invention uses a housing with wells 41 spaced therein; however, troughs 17 are not used. Wells 41 are lineary spaced along a predetermined surface 44 and extend inwardly therefrom. Wells 41 are defined by cylindrical walls 42 which are an integral continuation of surface 44. Slots 37 which are cut in each side of wells 41 are parallel to each other and with surface 44 of housing '40. Springs 45 located in slots 37 are lineary arranged and are parallel to each other and extend lengthwise of said housing. 40. The pairs of slots 37 are lineary arranged with the other slots of aligned wells 41. Springs 45 are securely fastened to housing 40 at selected points by securing means 39 adjacent each side of slots 37, reside in portions of slots 37 and overlie portions of Wells 41 as previously mentioned. Except for the modification as outlined in this paragraph, the two embodiments function essentially the same though diiferent in structure.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A rack for receiving a plurality of volumetric flasks comprising a hexahedronal shaped housing, said housing having at least one trough located in a selected surface thereof, said trough including sides and a floor being extensions of said selected surface, said housing having a plurality of wells one for each flask spaced along said trough and extending inwardly from said trough and said selected surface of said housing, said wells each being 4 defined by side and bottom surfaces and springs mounted in said trough so as to overlie a portion of each said well thereby adapting said rack to securely receive said volumetric flasks.

2. A rack for receiving volumetric flasks comprising a hexahedronal shaped housing, said housing having at least one laterally extending trough located in a predetermined surface thereof, said trough having sides extending inwardly from said surface and having a floor connecting said sides, said sides and said floor being a continuation of said predetermined surface, said housing having a plurality of wells one for each flask selectively spaced along said trough each being defined by cylindrical walls and a bottom, said cylindrical walls having a diameter greater than the width of said trough and extending inwardly from said predetermined surface of said housing and said floor of said trough thereby being a continuation thereof, said sides of said trough having a hole for each said well located adjacent each side of a portion of said cylindrical wall extending from said floor of said trough to said predetermined surface of said housing and an endless coil spring extending through each of said holes, behind said portion of said cylindrical wall extend: ing from said floor of said trough to said predetermined surface and overlying a portion of said well thereby adapting said rack to securely receive said volumetric flasks.

3. The rack of claim 2 wherein said housing including said trough and said wells is integrally molded from polyethylene and said springs are made from stainless steel thereby providing a chemically inert rack.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,228,813 6/1917 Osley 248-154 2,341,496 2/ 1944 Zethmayr 211 2,960,263 11/1960 Goddard 21l60 X 3,142,385 7/ 1964 Kahlenberg 21 l-74 3,193,107 7/1965 Pilat 21174 JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Examiner. KLAAS J. \VINGERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RACK FOR RECEIVING A PLURALITY OF VOLUMETRIC FLASKS COMPRISING A HEXAHEDRONAL SHAPED HOUSING, SAID HOUSING HAVING AT LEAST ONE TROUGH LOCATED IN A SELECTED SURFACE THEREOF, SAID TROUGH INCLUDING SIDES AND A FLOOR BEING EXTENSIONS OF SAID SELECTED SURFACE, SAID HOUSING HAVING A PLURALITY OF WELLS ONE FOR EACH FLASK SPACED ALONG SAID TROUGH AND EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM SAID TROUGH AND SAID SELECTED SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING, SAID WELLS EACH BEING DEFINED BY SIDE AND BOTTOM SURFACES AND SPRINGS MOUNTED IN SAID TROUGH SO AS TO OVERLIE A PORTION OF EACH SAID WELL THEREBY ADAPTING SAID RACK TO SECURELY RECEIVE SAID VOLUMETRIC FLASKS. 